DAVID Cameron was yesterday accused of subjecting voters to an “extended tease” over his European policy as he once again refused to pledge a straight in-out membership referendum.

The Prime Minister kept his lips sealed during a new interview on what he will say in his long-awaited major speech later this month which will set out his vision for Britain’s future relations with Brussels.

He did not actually rule out giving people the option of voting to leave the EU. But he made clear he believes Britain should stay in the union.

The Daily Express is crusading for Britain to leave the EU and is demanding an in-or-out vote.

But asked on BBC Radio 5 Live if he would offer an in-out choice, the PM said only: “You will have to wait for the speech.”

He pledged: “It will demonstrate very clearly that it is the Conservative Party at the next election that will be offering people a real change in terms of Europe and a real choice about that change.”

The British people have had enough and want to make their voice heard in a referendum

Tim Aker, campaign manager of Get Britain Out

But he stressed he believes it is in Britain’s interests to stay in the EU and influence its rules.

“I don’t think it’s right to aim for a status like Norway or Switzerland where basically you have to obey all the rules of the single market but you don’t have a say over what they are,” he said.

He also blamed being in coalition with the Lib Dems who “don’t really want to change any aspect of our relationship with Europe” for preventing as much progress on the EU as a Conservative-only administration could have made.

The Prime Minister says change in the eurozone gives Britain a chance to negotiate new membership terms and has indicated he would seek voters’ consent to a new deal in a referendum after the 2015 general election.

But underlining pressure on Mr Cameron from many of his own troops, leading Tory eurosceptic MP Mark Reckless said: “The key is that the referendum should be to stay in the EU under the improved terms he negotiates, or to leave the EU.

“I think that scenario is still open today – but if he does not announce it in his speech there will be great difficulties within the party.” Ukip leader Nigel Farage, whose party is feared by many Tories as an election threat, said the Prime Minister should commit.

“We are talking about a matter of trust. He sits there and thinks his great extended tease about this forthcoming Europe speech is entertaining. It is not,” he said.

“No matter what he says now, after so many broken promises, so many ‘cast-iron guarantees’, can anybody honestly believe that he will be telling the truth this time?

“The simple fact is that he wants us to stay in the EU.

“Of course, we must talk to our European friends, of course we must do business with them, but we must do so from a position of strength, rather than weakness.

“That strength will be provided by being independent and masters of our own destiny rather than begging at the top table for a little bit of renegotiation here and a little bit of repatriation there.”

Tim Aker, campaign manager of Get Britain Out, said: “The British people want an in-out referendum.

“David Cameron has had long enough to register this and should commit to one.

“While we are waiting for this speech we are still paying the EU £53million a day, the EU still controls our borders and writes our laws.

“The British people have had enough of it and want to make their voice heard in a referendum. An in-out vote is the only option left.”